Posts by Rev. Steve Holm (Page 75)
Daily devotions
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” vs. 1 Luke 18:1-5 Jesus knew that prayer can often be a disheartening experience, mostly because there seems to be no response from God. So he tells his disciples a parable about an unjust judge who neither feared God nor respected people. But when a poor woman kept coming with a plea for justice, the judge finally granted her request just to keep…
Daily Devotions
For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires…” vs. 5 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Paul, looking back on decades of ministry, has some sound advice for the young preacher and teacher. “Proclaim the message,” he says, “be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage,” and have patience. What Paul advises is not easy in these…
Daily Devotions
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” vs. 16 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Early Christians didn’t start from scratch as they proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Their whole message was based on the Hebrew Scriptures, and most of them had been well-trained in its teachings before they became followers of Jesus. This was their community’s story, and they found great inspiration in the writings…
Daily Devotions
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” vs. 8 Psalm 121 If we were to list our psalms of comfort, this one would probably rank near the top. This psalmist understood God, and he was able to provide a metaphor that describes the ever-vigilant nature of God better than any other. He writes, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from…
Daily Devotions
We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against you.” vs. 20 Jeremiah 14:19-22 According to Jeremiah, the people of Judah acknowledged the iniquity of their ancestors and furthermore, confessed it to be their own. Their attitude contrasts with the attitudes of those in our time who refuse to accept any responsibility for the despicable acts of prior generations. In some places, teachers are forbidden from teaching anything about the past that might…
Daily Devotions
Why should you be like someone confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot give help? Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us!” vs. 9 Jeremiah 14:7-10 Judah was in a period of famine and drought, with powerful enemies closing in on every side, and they needed the Lord’s help. But nothing was happening, and the people were in despair. As was their custom they complained, perhaps…
Daily Devotions
Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’” vs.19 Luke 17:15-19 Faith is a big word for the followers of Jesus. We run across it regularly as we read the scriptures and have discovered that it can have a variety of meanings. In this instance, Jesus ascribes it to a Samaritan man who had been healed of his leprosy. Evidently all ten of the lepers had faith, they had trusted…
Daily Devotions
When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean.” vs. 14 Luke 17:11-14 As we’ve learned to live with COVID, we’ve had to deal with ever-changing regulations for quarantine and travel. Once diagnosed, we have to be able to show a negative test to resume normal activities, and that hasn’t always been easy. We’ve missed family gatherings and had to cancel trips, all in the interest…
Daily Devotions
Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14 2 Timothy 2:14-15 Religious folks love to wrangle over words, especially if they have been educated beyond their intelligence. We see it regularly in our congregations as people engage in ferocious debates over the different nuances of meaning in biblical verses. It would just be silliness if the results weren’t…
Daily Devotions
The saying is sure: ‘If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.’” vss. 11-13 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Being a Christian in the first century was a dicey experience. To be a believer was often dangerous. Persecutions and imprisonments were common. Leaders like Paul and others faced an…
Daily Devotions
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10 Psalm 111 For centuries there wasn’t much question about the primacy of the Lord. Pretty much everyone, at least in the Judeo-Christian heritage, would have agreed with the psalmist–the Lord was in control and showered blessings over the entire earth. Our awesome God had power and might and was also gracious and merciful. But somewhere…
Daily Devotions
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’” vss. 9-10 2 Kings 5:9-15c When the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus in their synagogue, he reminded them that even though there were many lepers in Israel at the time of Elisha, none were healed except Naaman the Syrian.…